Purgatory
by Kayle5
Summary: Kira's past catches up with her at the least opportune time. And now, she finds herself fighting for her life. And what about Masao? Has he truly forgotten everything about Rei? Rated PG-13, R. Please review! Chapter Five Uploaded!
1. Ugly

**_Purgatory _**

****

_Rated: _**PG-13 for mild violence and language.**** Both will escalate considerably in the following chapter(s).**

_Genre(s): _**Romance/Suspense/Action.**** Kira/Rei, Harumi/Tetsuya.**

_Authors Notes: _**This is one I've been looking forward to writing for awhile. xD And finally, I've gotten around to it! Honestly, this is probably one of the longest chapters I've ever written. Six pages! It's a record! O_O Please review! I'll give y'all cookies!**

His hand was trembling. He wasn't sure why, but he wasn't really sure of much anymore, so it didn't bother him for long. He took another swig of his glass of vodka, feeling the warm liquid pour down his throat swiftly. It settled in his stomach; a burning sensation.

The bartender leaning on the dirt-soaked counter was scrutinizing him with a scowl, reaching to remove the almost empty vodka cup from Yusuke Yoshioka's greedy hands, but the alcoholic slapped his arm away.

Yoshioka's vision was blurred, his world tilting to a dangerous degree. He threw the remaining vodka in the flinching bartender's face and stumbled from the sleazy, run-down bar. A few other shady occupants turned to stare as he slammed the door behind him.

Yusuke Yoshioka's luck had gone down the tubes after the attempted molestation of Kira Aso. An anonymous high school student reported him to the principal who in turn reported him to the police, and his reputation was tarnished beyond repair. Jobless, and most likely to remain that way, he turned to liquid redemption and had been unable to leave it ever since. Wifeless, childless, and friendless. His pathetic life—or what was left of it—in a nutshell. 

He staggered down the street, clothes messy, having been the only pair he had worn for the past two days. Full of five respectably large rations of vodka, the ex-English teacher stumbled down the streets of Tokyo.

***

_"Kawaiiii!"_Came a thrilled shriek. Rei Kashino turned to see his wife of a year squeal and stare at a plushie in the window display of a store. He sweatdropped a bit as a few passerby turned to gawk at Kira's exuberant behavior. 

"Geez, Kira. What did you _find_?" He chuckled, coming up alongside normally introverted blonde, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Isn't that the cutest thing you've ever _seen_?" She giggled, pointing at the small, plush neko toy inside the store.  Its tiny glass eyes stared up at Rei; two black splotches in a sea of artificial pink fur. 

Kira's face was alight with glee as she leaned against his chest. 

"It's certainly... um, cute." Rei admitted. Kira laughed and swatted at his dangling arm. 

"I have _never_ heard you say that something's 'cute' before!"

"Eh, not very masculine," Rei muttered, a bit flustered.

"I never knew you had a feminine side to you, koibito!" Kira giggled again, as they started once more down the sidewalk.

It had been a year since their marriage, a year since the time Rei's life had almost been taken from him. They'd since moved into a nice apartment not too far off from where the old housing complex had been. Life was good. Work all day; play all night. It couldn't be better. 

The happy couple waited for the lights to change, and then hurriedly crossed the street before it could switch back. 

"Kira, where are we meeting Harumi and Tetsuya again?"

"They'll meet us in the park. And then we're gonna decide where to go from there," Kira responded. She opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again. A tingling shiver ran up and down her quaking spine, an electric shock to the brain. Her face grew pale. Someone was staring at her retreating back. _Someone... but whom?_ She stopped dead in her tracks, thus pulling Rei with her. Kira released her tight grip on his arm and pivoted, expecting to come face-to-face with Masao. She'd felt the same way whenever he the psycho would gape at, that maddened expression twisted as he held the gun to her forehead...

"Kira? Daijoubu desu ka?" Rei asked in concern, gripping her shoulder tightly.

Kira took a deep intake of breath. There had been no one there. She was getting paranoid at the ripe age of eighteen and a half. "N-No..."

Rei could see she was visibly shaken. "We can call this off, you know. I'll call Tetsuya's cell when we get back..."

"N-No!" Kira repeated, a bit too harshly. She quickly calmed. "Gomen. I'm better now. C'mon, we don't want to keep them waiting, because you know how fast Tetsuya and Harumi get bored!" She was smiling again. Back to the same old Kira.

Rei nodded, still a bit worried. Nevertheless, he didn't express his concerns aloud. No need to dwell on a petty issue. The night was young!

***

_He had seen her, and it had been like he was emerging from a nightmare._

Yoshioka recognized her, despite not having seen her in over two years.  He'd know those flowing blonde locks anywhere. It was her—Kira Aso. The one responsible for why he was spending his life in his gutter. The reason why he couldn't get a job.

A new feeling blossomed deep within his chest. It replaced the depression, and unhappiness, with... raw hatred.

He hated her. _He hated Kira. _He could picture grabbing those wavy, golden tresses in his right hand, and running a sharp, serrated knife over the pale, fine skin of her neck. How could she be so blissful, when he was in pieces? The inhumanity of it was sickening. Through an alcohol-induced stupor, Yusuke, for the first time in his forty-some years, felt murderous. 

***

"Ru-u-u-mi-i-i-i!"

Harumi turned at the sound of her nickname to see Kira bound up to her, Rei following in pursuit. The two best friends gave each other a hug, and pulled away. Tetsuya leapt off the picnic bench he was seated upon and gave Rei a slap on the back in a much more masculine greeting. There was a chorus of "konnichi'wa"s all around.

"So how are you newlyweds?" Harumi joked, smirking at Kira playfully.

"Mou, Rumi," Kira protested. "We've been married for a year now! Our anniversary's tomorrow!" 

Harumi just giggled, and replied with a casual, "So! Where to now?"

Tetsuya wrinkled his nose. "I heard it's supposed to rain soon, so we'd better do something inside."

"Aw, Tetsuya's afraid of a little precipitation?" Rei taunted, poking his friend smack in the center of the forehead. The two men lost all maturity gained in past years and began to horse around, wrestling each other playfully. 

Harumi raised an eyebrow. "Would you two children please stop your testosterone-driven wrestling match? I swear, Kira, how _do _we put up with these guys?"

The four of them jostled each other and laughed like elementary school students, gladly relieving themselves of all responsibility that had been brought on by aging, even if just for a bit. None of them seemed to notice the darkening skies overhead, or the gradual emptying of all other human life from the park. Soon enough, only Kira, Rei, Tetsuya, Harumi, and another brave couple were left. 

Kira stopped dead in her tracks when she felt something wet splash against her nose. Lifting her gaze to the heavens, she saw that the skies were ready to open up upon them. "Uh-oh," Kira murmured. 

Before anyone could say another word, it began to rain, to pour. The storm hit them so quickly they had no time to seek shelter. Thunder rolled, lightning struck. Kira had never seen a tempest accumulate so fast.

"Shit!" Rei cursed, shielding him and Kira with his denim jacket, as they began to find somewhere dry. The denim allowed water to filter through though, and soon was too wet to be any good as a guard. 

"Rei! Kira!" Tetsuya shouted over the pounding of the rain. "There's a gazebo not too far off from here!" When Harumi, who was huddling with him under his windbreaker, asked him which way, he jerked his head to the left.

"That gazebo got torn down a month ago! It's no good!" Rei yelled back, which caused Tetsuya to curse loudly. "But there are public bathrooms nearby. Let's go there!"

In unspoken agreement, the foursome headed off in the direction Rei indicated...

***

Yoshioka loved his knife. He held it to his face, admiring the glint off which it gave; admiring the way the water seemed to simply slide off, leaving only the slightest residue from impact. It was his only weapon, his only ally. This serrated butcher knife was the only thing he could count on. He smiled. Kira had escaped him one time. She would not escape again.

Then like a recurring nightmare, he remembered that Kira had not been the only one responsible for his ruin. _That boy.__ What was his name? _The one who had threatened him with the art knife, the knife that was so much smaller than his own. The one who had humiliated him in front of his English class. 

He had seen Kira with another man. Was it the boy who had saved her? Yoshioka hadn't gotten a good look at him, but that didn't matter right now.

Yusuke was still drunk, but he was surprisingly clear-headed. His eyes were glossed over, determination evident within their fiery depths. Rain pounded about him as he sought shelter beneath a sakura tree, concealing himself well as Kira, Rei, and their friends ran past on their way to the bathrooms. Still grinning to himself, Yoshioka waited until they had gotten a considerable head start before him, and then began after them.

***

 "Ah, relief," Rei sighed as they huddled beneath a small awning outside the public female restrooms. The rain flowed consistently off the roof, soaking the pavement only inches before their feet. Kira sighed and wrung out her blonde mane. Harumi hugged herself, trying to keep warm. She nestled against Tetsuya, who wrapped his strong arms around her. 

"Should we just stay here until the storm subsides?"  Rei asked uncomfortably, shifting from foot to foot, doing a dance of sorts.

Kira raised an inquiring eyebrow. "What's wrong with you? Do you have to--"

"--Piss? _YES I DO." _He declared loudly.

Harumi jerked her thumb over her shoulder towards the restroom. "I doubt there will be any girls in there to squeal at you, Rei-kun." 

Rei hesitated, and then nodded. He had to go. **Badly.**There was no two ways about it. He ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. The others chuckled a bit at his behavior. 

After a moment, Kira sighed, leaning against the cool brick of the adjourning wall. Harumi and Tetsuya seemed to be whispering sweet nothings in each others ears', so she didn't want to disturb them. 

Her stomach suddenly clenched, harshly, painfully. _What...?_A hand flew to her mouth subconsciously. This had been the feeling she had had before she and Rei had arrived in the park. Why did she feel this way?! Was she sick? The flu, maybe? She removed the hand clamped about her mouth to breathe. Glancing up, she saw a flash of silver gleam in the woods a mere ten meters before her. Or was it her imagination? Kira couldn't tell. 

Before she even knew what she was doing, she was sprinting forward into the tempest once more, yelling over her shoulders to Harumi and Tetsuya that she'd be right back. She had to find what was causing her such agony. She flew into the darkening forest, searching for answers that seemed through her fingers to continually slip.  _Who are you? **What **are you? _Kira wanted to scream. Alarm bells were shrieking in her head, telling her to turn back, to get away from here...

...And then she was flying forward towards the ground. Something had tackled her about the knees. Her chin hit the moist dirt hard enough to make her head spin. She groaned, and the rubber sole of a sneaker pushed down against her back. Cold, greedy hands jerked her arms behind her with a cruel vengeance. 

Kira, terrified out of her mind, opened her mouth to scream.

**A/N: ^_^ Please review!**** Or else I won't continue! O_O**


	2. Ain't Afraid To Die

**_Purgatory_**

****

_Rated: _Heavy PG-13 to R for violence and harsh language. 

_Genre(s): _Action/Suspense. 

_Author's Notes: _Thanks to ChibiUmiChica, Luffy V'shile, :), and RoxyAngel489 for reviewing! It means a lot to me, guys! ::Passes out a generous ration of cookies to each person.:: Love to you all! And as always, please review!

She couldn't believe it. This was supposed to have been a normal day, filled with her friends and the man she loved and trusted above all in the world. Why did her past have to catch up with her _now, _of all times? She couldn't believe the tightening hands around her throat. She couldn't _believe _this was happening. Yoshioka—her ex-English teacher—had her pinned against the moist ground with his long fingers wrapped around the pale skin just below her neck, cutting off all oxygen to her lungs; to her brain, which was now jumbled with thoughts of remorse and, above all, utter confusion. 

"You ruined me!" Yoshioka wailed, like a little kid who had lost his mother in a crowded store. "You ruined my _life! _You insufferable _bitch..._" His enraged rant continued on and on, tears streaming down his cheeks. The pungent smell of alcohol lingered in Kira's nostrils. Despite the fact that she was being strangled to death, most likely the stench Yoshioka was giving off would have been enough to keep her from breathing otherwise.

_I'm__ going to die... Is there anything I can... **do**...? _Kira thought desperately, blue irises darting from side to side. Her abdomen was screaming in pain; Yoshioka had stabbed her before going for her throat. The assailant's knife lay about a meter away, covered with her own blood—no, that was too far. Her legs were pinned, as were her arms. She was stuck, utterly and completely stuck.

Everything suddenly became very dark as Kira's eyes began to close, the leering face of Yoshioka above her slowly fading away until it was a far-off speck. She saw something move in her peripheral vision, but before she could make heads or tails of what it was, she fell unconscious...

"Dammit, where is she...?" Rei mumbled beneath his breath, wiping the bit of dirt and grime that had accumulated from his brow. "What in hell could have possessed her to run off like that?"

When he had left the bathroom, Harumi and Tetsuya told him that Kira had turned pale and ran off into the rain before they had had a chance to stop her. Rei just sprinted off after her without another word. _Kira, you moron...___

His thoughts were cut off by a sudden, muffled choking noise coming from beyond the bushes to his left. He did a double take, and realized that the sound was very familiar. In one flying leap, he passed through into a very cramped clearing, and felt his heart plummet. Kira was held beneath the knees of an obviously deranged man, face blue, eyes shut. She put up no resistance. Both arms were limp at her sides, a small pool of blood accumulating beneath her.

With a yell of rage, Rei tackled the man in a reckless maneuver, anger and fear taking over his entire being. 

Yoshioka let out a gasp as the wind was knocked from him. Rei took a handful of his shirt in one hand and with the other punched him across the face with all his might.

"What the _fuck _are you _trying to do_!?" The blonde shouted, voice reverberating madly against the trees above. He socked him again and against until the ex-English teacher's face was a pulpy mess. Yoshioka's nose was long broken, and Rei showed no sign of letting up. Suddenly another strong body slammed against Rei much in the same manner as he had originally tackled Yoshioka—only it was Tetsuya this time.

"Are you _trying _to kill that guy, Rei?!"

"Get off of me, Tetsuya!" He opened his mouth to say something more but was cut off by a sudden sputtering cough. It was Kira. Harumi knelt by her side, but the shorthaired girl didn't block Rei's view of the Kira. Long bruises ran around the circumference of her neck, sure indicators of her near-strangulation. Her head lolled to the side as she struggled between consciousness and not, her hair falling into her face. 

"Call an ambulance!" Rei cried as he dashed to his fallen wife, forgetting about Yoshioka for the time being. He cradled her in his arms baby-style as Harumi flipped open her cell phone.

The hospital waiting room was cold and sterile, the only sounds the murmur of people, the muffled sobbing of an elderly woman in the corner, and the droning buzz of the overhead lighting. Rei found himself clenching Kira's windbreaker that had been tossed aside by her attacker as he hunched over in a straight-backed plastic chair. Harumi and Tetsuya had been there with him up until about fifteen minutes ago, but he had finally persuaded them to head home, calming their worries with a promise to call them frequently with updates on Kira's condition.

The ambulance had reached the park within minutes, but Rei had practically convinced himself that they were never going to come in his desperation. Kira was white as death and completely unresponsive. She'd hung limply in his grasp. 

Rei massaged his temples. This was all a nightmare. It had to be. Some ghost from their past was coming back to haunt them, and that didn't happen to people in real life, did it? 

A nurse suddenly brushed past him, gesturing to someone behind her. When she spoke, it was in such a sweet voice that it would have made Satan himself cringe. 

"Come on now, hon, let's go give these flowers to those poor, poor bed-ridden patrons, shall we?" She piped, and Rei found it like driving forks into his temples.

A petite girl with shoulder-length hair caught up with the overly energetic nurse, and Rei swiveled around to size her up. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu come over him. _She's__ so familiar._

"Hai, Hamazaki-sempai," the girl whispered in a voice that was definitely not that of a female.

_Kami-sama... is that really...? _Rei's aqua irises widened in disbelief. For the girl was not a girl at all. It was Masao, the person who had, a year ago from yesterday, nearly put Rei's life to a premature end. How ironic it was to see him here now, most likely visiting from the rehabilitation center. _Of all days...___

Masao's gaze came to rest upon Rei, who immediately tensed. Yet Masao seemed completely unaware that he had known Rei in the past, much less the wrong-doings he had done against him, and handed him a single red rose.

"Don't worry," he smiled in a genuine manner. "Your loved one will be okay."

Then Masao hurried off to catch the nurse, Hamazaki, who had already gone on ahead. Rei stared at his retreating back for a long time, and then looked down at the rose he had been handed.

"Ow!" He exclaimed as he cut the pad of his thumb on one of the flower's thorns. The thin stream of blood trickled down his hand. He sucked on it in annoyance, cursing under his breath.

_Fuck. Masao finds some way to hurt me even when he mean to, _Rei thought.

Despite himself, he found his mind wandering to musings of Kira, wondering how she was, wishing that he'd be updated on her condition. A wave of emotion flooded him at once—memories of being in the hospital on multiple occasions—his brother's death, and post-Masao, rage towards the drunkard's onslaught against his wife, but mostly utter desperation towards her current conditions. 

  
  
Rei was honestly starting to believe he would explode right when he felt a tap on his shoulder. This time, it was a very apathetic-seeming doctor, clipboard in hand and graying hair combed-over.  "Mr. Rei Kashino?" 

"H-Hai, that's me... my wife... how is she?"

"Come see for yourself, sir," the doctor ushered him down the bleak, off-white corridor, and towards the ICU. 

**A/N: Yup, another cliffhanger.**** I also apologize for the short chapter and long updating time. (Meh, what else is new? -.-) Not my best work, but not my worst, either. Anyways, please review! I'll love you forever. =D**


	3. Pink Killer

**_Purgatory_**

****

_Rated:_PG-13 for some language.

_Genre(s): _Drama, mostly.

_Author's Note: _Thanks to Luffy V'shile, Wolfgang-woman, puppet monkey, Kayura1, x ri-chan x, jenna, Lily Wong, frogfroggy5, and Requienne. I can't believe I've received so many reviews for one chapter! - You guys are the best! It's really motivated me to write, so without further ado...

---

He had sobered considerably since the assault against Kira; hence the pounding hammers against his temples and the diminishing waver in his step. He rubbed the sides of his head in a desperate attempt to subdue the horrible pain, but it did next to nothing to help. Mr. Valiant Hero had broken Yoshioka's nose, and that was almost worse than his headache.

Almost.

He was surprised and unbelievably lucky to not be sitting in the back of a paddy wagon, or to have been beaten to an unidentifiable cadaver.

_Well, _he thought sourly, _not as if anyone would recognize me if I died, anyway. Nor would they care._

Hand clamped tightly over his throbbing nose, he stumbled away from the park, and out into open air. The storm had quieted to a soft whisper of what it once was, and the drizzling rain softly pattered against his blonde mat of hair. Despite the clearing of the weather, though, few people were out. Yoshioka was thankful for that. He didn't want to see anything happy at the moment... hell, he had a hangover, and a face that currently resembled that of a boxer's—certainly, he wouldn't impress any passerby.

Unfortunately, though, the weather hadn't kept everyone inside. There were still people scattered about the streets of Tokyo, and whenever he passed by, they had a tendency to either gasp, or whisper quietly to themselves, trying their hardest to seem inconspicuous.

One brave soul even came up to him to ask if he needed help.

Yoshioka looked at them like they had grown horns, and pretty soon he was left alone once more.

----

"Kira?"

The hospital door swung open with an obnoxious squeak. The room was filled with soft beeping noises along with the quiet hum of the breathing machine Rei Kashino's wife was currently attached to.

Seeing Kira lying so helpless on the bed sheets made Rei's breath catch painfully in his throat. Her chest slowly rose and fell in rhythm with the machine, eyelids covering her beautiful aquamarine irises. He made his way over to her bedside, not noticing the doctor quietly slip into the hallway.

"Oh, Kami-sama, Kira..." Rei took her hand into his; reeling at how delicate it felt against his rough and leather-esque hands. He caressed it gently, bringing it to his lips. "Wake up, Kira. Can you hear me? It's Rei."

Kira didn't stir, though he could have sworn he saw an increase in the furrow of her brow.

"Kira?" He leaned over her, allowing a small smile to pull over his lips, as if that might help her wake up faster. "Don't worry, koibito, I'm right here. I'll stay until you come around, okay?"

Time passed, and to the extent that Rei lost track. It was around one in the morning that he realized he hadn't gotten sleep for roughly thirty-six hours, and was exhausted. Against his will he found himself sinking into his uncomfortable plastic chair until he finally dozed off.

He woke up around six AM, disoriented as to where he was. He recollected himself, and remembered the happenings of the prior day. He ran a hand through his mused hair and sat up slowly.

On the opposite side of Kira's bed hovered a figure garbed in jeans and a white t-shirt, staring down at the comatose girl. Light blonde tresses fell into his large, almost feminine eyes as he bent over Kira, his lips only centimeters from hers.

"Who the hell--!?" Rei instantly clambered to his feet, his anger nearly throwing himself off-balance. When he realized whom it was, his rage increased tenfold. "What are _you _doing here, you bastard?"

----

Tetsuya gripped the wheel until his knuckles turned white, biting down on his lower lip in frustration. The hospital loomed closer and closer with each passing second, and he was anxious to get in and check on Kira's condition. Harumi was uncharacteristically quiet next to him, seat belt strewn aside as she slumped into her seat, staring out the window, allowing her mind to wander.

It seemed like forever before Harumi broke the silence. "Tetsu-kun... do you think she'll be okay?"

Tetsuya glanced over at his long-time girlfriend. She wrung her hands worriedly, concern for her best friend evident. She hadn't slept the past night, not a wink. Obviously, Harumi wanted him to console her, to tell her that Kira would be up, awake, and greet them with open arms when they entered the hospital. However, to tell her that would be a lie, and there was no way he wanted to do that to her, so he just shook his head. "All we can do is hope."

The line was corny and trite, but effective. Harumi wearily nodded, sitting a bit straighter in her chair now. With a small smile, she admitted, "I think she's a lot tougher than we give her credit for."

"Hmm." Tetsuya paid the hefty toll to enter the parking garage, anticipation making him jittery. _Here we go. You'd better be all right, Kira-chan._

----

That _asshole._Rei could not believe his eyes—here was Masao, that psychopath who had tried to kill him and Kira once apiece, leaning over Kira's bed as if he were ready to kiss her.

Masao glanced up at him and smiled innocently, insinuating that he'd done nothing at all incriminating. "Do you still have the rose I gave you?"

Rei scowled. "No way in hell would I keep that stupid flower. Masao, I may be dumb, but you act as though you remember me."

Masao looked bewildered, yet the coy grin plastered on his face remained. "Whatever could you mean, sir? I was just visiting a fellow patient. Now, if you'd excuse me--" He started towards the partially ajar door, but a hand on Rei's shoulder brought him to a halt.

"Watch it."

That was all he said—those simple yet malevolent two words-- before he released Masao to go about on his way, still feeling the need to beat that smile from his smug expression. Rei shook his head in disgust, and took his seat once more, rubbing his temples in exasperation. The door quietly shut on its own, leaving just Rei to his thoughts... until Tetsuya and Harumi came bursting into the room a mere ten minutes later, nearly startling poor Rei out of his seat.

"Is she okay?" Harumi exclaimed loudly, until a solemn Rei hushed her.

"She'll be alright. Kira's just sleeping... that's all."

"Oh."

Tetsuya arranged the assortment of roses they'd brought along with them in a water-filled vase and stood back to admire his work. At Tetsuya's careful scrutiny of the flowers, Rei managed to crack a smile.

"Little Tetsu, wanna-be florist," he mused quietly, feeling his mood lift a bit.

----

Masao surveyed to the outside proximity of the hospital with a satisfactory air about him, hands placed on his hips. It had been easy enough to get away from that damn nurse Hamazaki. _Never turn your back to a person in a mental ward. _He smirked. _Amazing what a telephone cord around someone's neck can do. _Masao may be insane, but he certainly was clever. They most likely wouldn't find her body until the janitors came out at night and opened the broom closet near the east wing. He'd made sure that no one was around at the time of the murder-- a murder in cold-blood.

It was somewhat refreshing, really. While the first time he had murdered had been exhilarating, this made him more proud to know that he hadn't simply done it in self-defense. He wished he had someone to brag to, but that was not going to happen anytime soon, unless he found someone who understood the glee of killing totally, just like he.

He sighed, looking out upon all the pedestrians passing by. _You are all missing so much. _Nevertheless, he couldn't dawdle here long. The authorities would most likely suspect and come after him, so he had to find a place to hide until they gave up the chase.

But oh, did it feel so good to be free! Free from constraints, free from having to lie to those moronic psychologists who claimed to know the way he ticked completely and absolutely, free from having to deal with that over-sympathetic bitch who followed him day in and day out, like he was incompetent.

He started down the front hospital steps, glancing over his shoulder at the window to Kira's room as he did so. _Wait for me, dear Kira. _And with that, he melded into the bustling crowd of people below.

**A/N: Wow... that was so... emo.**** XD No, no, I didn't just type that. I didn't. xX; Sorry. Anyway, how was it? Not my favorite chapter, but meh, I always critique my work way too harshly. So I'd really appreciate some constructive critism, please. It was kind of a cliché way to end the chapter, ne? u.u Oh well. Please review!!! PLEASSSSEEE! =D **


	4. Increase Blue

**_Purgatory_**

****

_Rated: _PG-13 for some language.

_Genre(s): _Drama and romance.

_Author's Notes: _BAH. The original chapter was deleted, right when the going was getting good. So I apologize now for the delay in getting this one posted. Anyway, please review, and thanks so much to those who already have!

The beginning didn't come out as well as I'd hoped in the rewritten version. I just couldn't replicate the way I'd originally intended Kurayami to make her entrance, even if she'd just going to be a minor character.

That, and I just realized I've been spelling Tatsuya's name wrong for the past chapters. I substituted the 'a' with an 'e'. Baka! ::Smacks self on the forehead:: Oh, well, it's not anything _too _terrible.

And so, without further ado, here's chapter four of Purgatory! (Sorry for lack of action this chapter. The next chappie will bring all that, promise!)

---

Night had fallen, but she had barely taken notice.

_Already?__ This day passed by so fast._

Upon closer inspection, she realized that the moon was a thick, deep, blood red color. She shivered.

_Damn, something bad is going to happen. It's a bad omen._

Kurayami rubbed the golden cross hanging about her neck feverishly with her index finger and thumb, praying silently that nothing horrific would transpire upon her before the night was out. She traced a hand over one of many pentagrams scribbled with charcoal on her apartment's walls, feeling a sense of relief.

_Relax, Kurayami. Your room is completely free of the supernatural. You couldn't be safer._

Besides the pentagrams, at least twenty dream catchers hung from the ceiling, many directly above her bed. Garlic draped over large, makeshift wooden crosses decorated the mantel above the fireplace, a horseshoe was suspended from a nail above her front door, and the carcass of a black cat sat atop her nightstand, a disturbing reminder to any felines of a certain color to stay away from her. Far, far away.

She wondered why people always seemed a bit frightened of her whenever she invited them up to her apartment.

Sipping her green tea idly, Kurayami's nervous green eyes darted about her two-room home. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. Was something watching her? Or was it just a warning of something bad to come...?

She shrieked and spilled a bit of her tea on her lap when there came a harsh knocking upon her front door. She squeaked.

_Who could possibly be here at this hour?!_

"W-Who is it?" She called, trying not to sound as afraid as she was feeling.

The person on the other side responded almost instantly. "Kura, it's me. Masao."

Kurayami Kirishima blanched. "Onii-chan? I thought you were--"

"I _was. _They... let me go free. Now, let me inside, I'm freezing!"

"H-Hai!"

She obediently allowed her twin brother entrance. Masao hurriedly shuffled in, giving the outside hall a swift, almost jittery glance and slammed the door behind him. After hanging his coat up, he turned to her with a warm smile.

"Onee-chan, I've missed you," he murmured, embracing her.

"I did, too, but..." She stepped back, holding her brother at arms' length. He eyed the cross dangling from her neck. "They just let you out of the mental ward?"

Masao didn't answer. He just turned to her fireplace and took interest in the bulbs of garlic. "So you're worried about vampires now, too?"

"Masao-onii-chan..."

He took no heed of her nervous tone. "Look, Kura. I need a place to crash for a few nights. I won't bother you for over a week, more than likely less than that. Could I please stay here?" Turning, he addressed her once more with a coy smile. "After all, isn't that what siblings are for?"

---

The room was dark, and she was alone.

Those were the first two things Kira Kashino realized when she awoke. She instantly wanted to be unconscious once more due to the horrible pain in her stomach, but she didn't let herself pass out again.

_I'm__ in the hospital. What happened? Where _is _everyone?_

"Unh..." A hand flew to her forehead as a sharp twinge pierced her temple. Trying to remember what had caused her this agony was difficult and she didn't believe she was up to the task in her current physical state.

Curiosity getting the best of her, she swung her legs off the bed and slowly got to her feet. Everything spun about her for a bit, and her knees felt like they'd been turned to mush, but she regained her bearings quickly.

It seemed as though she'd been injured relatively severely, and who knew how long she could have been out cold on that bed. So where in the world were her friends, her family, her husband? _Rei, why aren't you here with me?_ She bit her lip, and almost allowed tears to come to her eyes. But no, she wouldn't let herself weep. She was too prideful to cry like some spoiled child.

Gasping, her knees buckled beneath her without warning. She grasped the nightstand, which she had conveniently been leaning against, just barely saving herself from falling to the cold tile. When she was level with its wooden surface, however, she found herself staring at a yellow piece of scrap paper attached to an opaque vase.

**"Kira—**

**I went out for a while to get myself a pillow to use to sleep in your room tonight, because that chair hurts like a bitch. I'll be back soon, though I doubt you'll be reading this... just in case. You know I'd never leave you alone. Love you.**

**--Rei"**

Kira instantly felt like smacking herself. What a fool! Rei could be naïve as anything sometimes, but he'd never just leave her stranded in a foreign hospital room like that. He cared too much about her. She should know that. Kami-sama, did she feel guilty for even insinuating that he'd left her in here alone.

She sat on the tiles, playing with a wrapper that had fallen stray from a nearby garbage bin. Someone she knew had attacked her, she could recollect that much. Her hand flew instinctively to the wound on her stomach.

**_Her abdomen was screaming in pain; he had stabbed her before going for her throat._**

That's right! He had used a knife, and then attempted to suffocate her.

_Well, that explains my current state of affairs, _she thought sarcastically.

Before she could delve deeper into the troughs of her mind, however, the oak door in the front of the room slowly creaked open, and in stepped a sight for sore eyes.

Rei's vision didn't adjust to the dim lighting right away, so he had to feel his way over to his chair, which was quickly becoming like a second home for him. He didn't notice the beaming Kira lying on the floor at first; no, the first thing he realized that her bed was empty.

"Kira-chan?!" He gasped, dropping the paper bag he'd been hauling all the way to the hospital. He desperately patted the indentations her body had left on the mattress.

"Err, Rei-kun?" Her voice was weak and dry, signaling that she hadn't used it in quite some time.

Reeling, he searched around for her. It only took him moments until he laid eyes upon her, smiling brightly up at him.

"You're awake!" He laughed aloud, tightly embracing her. She gave a small mew of pain, and he quickly released her. "Oh... gomen nasai, lost my head for a second, here, lemme help you into bed..."

He swept the petite girl into his arms and placed her down onto her bed sheets.

"Jesus, Kira-chan, I thought I'd lost you. Never do that to me again, you hear?" He kissed her on the lips before she had a chance to respond to his gentle scolding.

She grinned as much as her body would allow when she was able. Now that her husband was back, she felt as though she could take on anyone and anything that could possibly oppose them. She was safe.

----

Doctor Hisiashi wrung his weathered hands together, biting his lip. "Oh... so you mean he's still on the loose?"

The chief of police glanced down as his clipboard, expression giving away the fact that he dealt with things like this excessively. "Yeah, he killed the nurse and ran. Little bastard destroyed the corpse pretty wholly, too. Missing some entrails and--" He saw an elderly woman wheeling her crippled husband down the hallway adjourning them glance at him in horror, and he lowered his voice. "You get the idea. But don't worry, I doubt he'll come back to the scene of the crime. I don't think any murderer, little kid or not, would be stupid enough."

The corridor leading to the janitorial closet where Nurse Hamazaki had been killed had been roped off to anyone except for hospital personnel. The culprit was Masao Kirishima, of that they were sure. He'd left evidence of that for them left and right.

Chief of Police Ichigami had a smug look upon his face that night when he brought his silver Mitsubishi's engine to life. Kirishima would be caught within days. There was nothing to worry about.

After all, what's a dumb kid like him got on the Japanese police force?

**A/N: Wow, I just barely got through that chapter. xX I wasn't too thrilled with the outcome. Sorry if you found this one kind of boring, I'll make the next one more interesting, promise!**

**That being said, please**** review! **


	5. Psycho

**_Purgatory_**

****

_Rated _PG-13 for language.

_Author's Notes: _Beh, I know, I know. The time it took me to complete, revise (I actually do edit these things, even if you find it hard to believe) and post this chapter was ridiculously long. I just started my freshman year at high school, and all Honors classes midterms well, you get the idea.

So thanks for bearing with me, and I hope you enjoy.

---

****

****

****

What was that saying again? You know... that sound that so many people imposed for the sound of the heart beating violently, pulsing at an unnaturally fast speed. Ah, yes... he remembered now.

And that's certainly what was happening with him now... doki doki. Masao thought his heart was sure to throb right out of his chest.

Because _she _was there. That one woman, married or no, could make his internal organs go haywire just by her mere presence. It was... quite amazing, actually.

Through a pair of small binoculars, he could clearly see Kira Kashino limp up the steps of her apartment building, having just now returned home from a long hospital stay. Every curve, every strand of soft blond hair... it was so close, it was tempting to try to reach out and touch it. Yet at the only relatively safe distance of across the street, he couldn't risk being seen. Being seen meant being captured, and he would be thrown into juvie for sure this time... or worse, he might be sentenced as an adult. Shaking his head to clear them of such morbid thoughts, he leaned back in the plush seats of the Cadillac he had... borrowed from a very, very giving soul in a multi-story parking garage. He knew he couldn't stay in this one vehicle for long, because once they traced the plate, he'd be in trouble.

_Get a hold of yourself, Masao. Right now, you've got to focus on your top priority._

That blasted Rei! He tilted the binoculars to the left, and saw Kira's husband carefully lead her up the fire escape, a shortcut they oftentimes would use to get into their home without going through the lobby. Masao watched with burning irises as the lucky bastard he was watching paused and scooped Kira up, legs beneath her knees, and cradled her the rest of the incline.

Masao moaned inwardly. How could he have been so stupid as to overlook _him_? Rei would probably not leave his wife's side for weeksor longer, with his luck. He would have to create some kind of diversion... something extremely urgent... to lure him away. Nevertheless, how was that to say that Kira wouldn't tag along?

_Doubtful, _his psyche reminded him. _She's still hobbling around... she can't go anywhere without much trouble, right? Strike immediately._

He smiled impishly.

Things for Masao Kirishima were finally starting to look up.

---

Kurayami Kirishima was in a panic.

She rubbed a marble pentagram between her index finger and thumb feverishly, trying to ward whatever evil had transpired upon her residency away.

How could such a malicious aura hang above her home, with all of the symbols and figures to keep it at bay? Had she, Kurayami, slipped up somehow?

She paced back and forth, trying and failing at finding the origin of it all. It had begun about a week ago; fluctuating to different levels until eventually it reached a peak where it was nearly unbearable...

Kura stopped dead in her tracks. A week ago? That was when...

Before she could even finish the thought, the front door flew open. She shrieked, clenching the pentagram in fear of whatever just stepped into her foyer.

"Kura, are you there?"

_Masao. _Instead of feeling more comforted by the fact that her brother had come, however, she felt sickened; frightful of whatever he might drag into her apartment with him.

"I-I'm in the bedroom," Kura responded weakly, trying to keep her voice from cracking.

"Good."

Kurayami hadn't expected to hear that. "W-What?"

"Stay where you are. I have company."

Masao's pitch didn't leave room for argument. Panicky yet curious at the same time, Kura cracked the door to her room open in the slightest, trying to get a glimpse of whomever Masao had brought home with him. What she saw caused her to recoil in fear. Masao's friend was in the hallway right outside!

They spoke in hushed tones. Kurayami had to strain her ears to hear.

"...must be done. I can't let them get away with this." That was not Masao, but his partner. He had a rough voice, somehow managing to sound fatigued, pained, and eager all at once.

Her brother spoke next. "I know that _he _did this to you."

The other man paused before replying. "...Yeah."

"Attacking him head-on will be pointless. Though an onslaught against the people he cares about most will be, well... _much _easier," Masao proposed, sounding as excited as a little child does during Christmas. "His wife, his father, his friends—any and all of them; they're easy targets. Sitting ducks, really. We just have to time this perfectly."

From her hiding spot in the other room, Kura felt like losing her lunch. What exactly was her brother speaking of? Was he _this _twisted? Tears pricked at her eyes. _Oh, God, Masao, what are you going to _do

Masao started up again. "But heed this: Rei's wife is mine, and mine alone. You take care of his best friend and his girlfriend for now."

"When do we begin?"

"Tonight. But first..." Kura teetered off-balance as the door to her room thrown open wide. She glanced up from where she lay on the floor, and into the hellish gaze of her closest sibling. Masao approached her slowly, as if he were unsure as to what he was going to do next.

"I'm sorry, Kura, that you had to hear that."

Kurayami had trouble finding her voice. When she did, though, it came out weakly and hoarse, as if she hadn't used it in days. "Why, Masao?"

He sighed, raking a hand through his dirty blonde hair. "Yes, why? Good question, wish I had thought of it myself. But I'm really sorry—you can't be allowed out of the house after hearing that. So stay put for awhile, 'mmkay?"

---

Yusuke Yoshioka was leaving the apartment when he heard a terrified, drawn-out scream, stuck on a single syllable... follow by silence. He paused, uttering a small prayer, hoping that Masao hadn't just done to his sister what he feared he had, and continued on. The concealed gun beneath his leather coat bumped against his pelvis bone as he left the building.

Who would have thought that Masao, some insane, scrawny little high-school kid would have an agenda against the same people he did?

Not that he was complaining or anything. Having an accomplice made his plans so much easier.

When Masao had countered Yoshioka in the parking lot of the hospital just as he'd been prepared to leave, he had barely recognized him beneath the over-sized trench coat he was swimming in. Yusuke had heard of him before: the crazy teenager who had tried to kill Rei Kashino and Kira Aso both on separate occasions, for reasons so inane no one could really seem to get their minds around them.

_A kindred spirit._He liked the thought of that.

The drunkard wasn't even sure why he was so adamant about doing what he was about to do, really, but he felt it was necessary all the same. He glanced down at the sheet of paper where Masao had scribbled the address of a restaurant Tatsuya Kida and Harumi Sugihara were supposed to be dining at tonight. He wasn't sure how his cohort had figured this out.

"I have connections," was all he would tell.

Yoshioka shrugged it off. Not like he cared, as long as he could take someone down with him, guns blazing.

---

"What? Father called?"

"Well... Miss Shina did," Rei corrected his wife gently, kissing her on the forehead. "She called from a payphone somewhere near dad's building, and sounded pretty urgent... she was all choked up or something. She told me that it was involving Dad, but we were cut off before we had a chance." He stopped for a moment. "Are you sure you'll be all right by yourself, Kira?"

She managed a small smile, knowing how Rei was having troubles choosing between staying here with Kira in this fragile state of hers and going to check on her father. She would be fine on her own, she knew, so she reassured him. "Go on, Rei. I'm sure Father needs you more than I do."

"...If you're sure..."

"Positive. I'll probably just be sleeping the whole time, anyway."

At last, Rei nodded. "Okay. Love you." After slinging his favorite leather jacket over his shoulder, he was off.

And so Kira was left alone for the first time in days; left alone to her thoughts. She had been recuperating at home ever since her release from the hospital, but the persistent ache in her side barred her from moving about freely. Sometimes she was so desperate to leave her sickbed, though; she disobeyed her body's protests and did housework. Harumi and Tatsuya were constantly in and out, checking up on her when Rei was at work or running errands.

Kira sighed, snuggling deeper beneath her covers contentedly. She couldn't wait to get better. Just lying around beneath the quilts like this... she was deadweight. And with the constant plague of nightmares about her attack and attacker that refused to give her a good night's rest, recovering might be a trifle harder than it should be.

A wave of drowsiness swept over her, and before she knew it, she was drifting out of consciousness once more.

---

Masao smiled to himself as he saw the tall young man make his way hurriedly to his motorcycle and peel away from the curb. He watched eagerly until Rei was securely around the corner and even for a few moments after that, just to be completely sure. He'd waited too long for this, and if he screwed it up foolishly, he'd never have this perfect chance again.

_Rei, I overestimated you. Daddy would be disappointed that you couldn't tell the difference between the voices of some voluptuous secretary and my dear little sister._

The smirk fell from his face. Practically leaping from the cement he sat upon, he realized that his time had _finally _come—finally, after this excruciating period of wait, he could reap the reward of his grueling patience.

In plain view, as wearing a disguise in a part of town like this was hardly feasible, Masao strode up to the apartment building and made his way inside, his excitement putting an extra boyish bounce in his step.

---

Kira had only been asleep for twenty-some minutes when a she was awoken by a sudden noise and draft. Shivering as she still hazed in and out of consciousness, she wondered why she had completely forgotten to shut the window.

Then she realized that it hadn't been merely a slip of her mind, and sat bolt upright in her bed.

Before she had time to inspect anything further, before she had time to even cry out, she felt a hand clamp tightly about her mouth from behind, the touch of cold steel to her throat. Her mind whirled with the familiarity of it all, thoughts and confusion all entwining so fast, so tightly, that she was almost kept from the imminent fear threatening to completely overtake her.

While Kira looked ready to faint, he was chuckling with emancipated mirth and hysteria. "My beautiful, dear Kira! Darling, I fear it's been much too long!"

Wanting to hear her striking voice again, he released his grip on her, the knife ever steady. His legs folded at the knees, he straddled her from behind, enjoying her spicy scent invading his nasal passages.

There came a choked sputter, and a single, disgusted word. "Masao."

"Isn't it grand?" He grinned toothily, knowing fully well that she couldn't see him and not really caring. "I missed you, my beautiful little honey."

"L-Leave me alone."

Masao recoiled at this, surprise overtaking him. She didn't sound afraid, she sounded... _expectant. _Had she seen him watching her somehow? Had she _known? _For the first time in a long while, his was at a loss for words, dread clawing at the pit of his stomach. So instead, he simply made his way around the bed—knife never straying from the gaunt-faced girl's delicate skin—until he was kneeling before her.

He was greeted by hatred, pure and simple. Nothing else shone in those brilliant eyes of hers. Only disgust, distaste, and contempt.

_She doesn't see it. She doesn't see how much we're alike, how we're kindred spirits of a sort. Such a dense little girl; dense and stupid..._

Masao leaned in dangerously close, closer and closer until Kira could retreat back towards the headboard no more. He bit her ear gently, and he felt her shiver in displeasure beneath him, squirming in vain to get away. She knew that he would use his weapon if necessary, so there was no real attempt in her struggle.

_My__ carving knife says it for me. You can't argue with steel._

---

_He's__ late. _Harumi mused worriedly, peeking at her small, silver watch for the umpteenth time. Listlessly she folded and unfolded her legs beneath the booth's table, having been waiting her for well over an hour. Tatsuya could be a flake sometimes, but he would have taken the consideration to call if he was going to be _this _tardy.

Normally she wouldn't have bothered to be so apprehensive in a situation like this. Maybe he was just stuck in traffic or something, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

_Kira's rubbing off on you, Harumi, _she thought dryly. _Pretty soon__ you'll have an ulcer if I keep panicking like this!_

She glanced out the thick pane of the restaurant's window, straining her eyes to get a glimpse of her boyfriend. Nothing was wrong, nothing at all.

Just traffic...


End file.
